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Dr. Wood was born in Wilmington;
the son of Dr. Thomas Fanning Wood,
the Father of the State Board of
Health. After graduating in medicine
at the University of Pennsylvania in
1902 and a year of study in England,
he returned to Wilmington to engage
in practice. As a physician, Dr.
Wood was conscientious to a fault,
his chief obsession being thorough-ness.
He was a bacteriologist of the
first rank, and long before his death
his reputation and achievements
were established and his name was
respected in England as well as in
America. He had three offers of
professorships in medical schools,
all of which were declined. When
pellagra became prevalent in North
and South Carolina during the early
years of the century, Dr. Wood made
a special study of the disease, even
learning Italian in order to .read
about the disease in Italian medical
journals. His study of sprue among
soldiers returning from the First
World War led to his spending a year
at the London School of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene where he was
awarded the degree of D. T. M.
(Doctor of Tropical Medicine).
In recognition of his ability and
especially of his work on sprue, Dr.
Wood was elected a member of the
American Association of Physicians,
he being the first man in North Caro-lina
to receive this honor.
The State Medical Society gave
recognition of Dr. Wood by electing
him President in 1910; he also
served a term as a member of the
State Board of Health from 1913 to
1919.
Dr. Cyrus Thompson, 1855-1930,
was with little doubt the most
popular and best liked member of
the State Medical Society during the
first half of the present century. He
graduated from Tulane Medical
School in 1878 but continued to be a
scholar throughout his life — a stu-dent
of literature, a student of
medicine, and a student of the
times in which he lived.
He began to practice medicine in
Onslow, his home county; but at the
end of five years he abandoned
medicine and taught school for two
years. Then he gave his time to
managing his farm. This was during
the great financial crisis, and, to
improve the condition of farmers,
Dr. Thompson became active in the
Farmers' Alliance. When the Alliance
affiliated with the new political
party, "The People's Party," he
was nominated for the office of
Secretary of State to which he was
elected in 1897 and served until
1901. Already from his home county
he had been state representative
and senator as well as county com-missioner
and superintendent of
health.
In 1904, Dr. Thompson took up
the practice of medicine in Jackson-ville.
He at once joined the State
Medical Society and in 1913 was
elected to the State Board of Health
of which he was a member for 18
years. In 1918, he was elected
President of the State Medical
Society.
Dr. Thompson was a many-sided
man; aside from the practice of
medicine, he was a successful
teacher, a successful farmer, a
successful politician, and always a
successful statesman. After his
return to medicine in 1904, he
followed this with equal success
during the remainder of his life. He
became the ablest debater of his
time and an orator of recognized
ability. "Certainly North Carolina
has not seen his like in this respect
since the days of Governor Zeb
Vance."*
Dr. James Lloyd Nicholson, the
son of a Methodist minister, was
*Dr. L. B. McBrayer, Transactions of
State Medical Society, 1931.
90

Dr. Wood was born in Wilmington;
the son of Dr. Thomas Fanning Wood,
the Father of the State Board of
Health. After graduating in medicine
at the University of Pennsylvania in
1902 and a year of study in England,
he returned to Wilmington to engage
in practice. As a physician, Dr.
Wood was conscientious to a fault,
his chief obsession being thorough-ness.
He was a bacteriologist of the
first rank, and long before his death
his reputation and achievements
were established and his name was
respected in England as well as in
America. He had three offers of
professorships in medical schools,
all of which were declined. When
pellagra became prevalent in North
and South Carolina during the early
years of the century, Dr. Wood made
a special study of the disease, even
learning Italian in order to .read
about the disease in Italian medical
journals. His study of sprue among
soldiers returning from the First
World War led to his spending a year
at the London School of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene where he was
awarded the degree of D. T. M.
(Doctor of Tropical Medicine).
In recognition of his ability and
especially of his work on sprue, Dr.
Wood was elected a member of the
American Association of Physicians,
he being the first man in North Caro-lina
to receive this honor.
The State Medical Society gave
recognition of Dr. Wood by electing
him President in 1910; he also
served a term as a member of the
State Board of Health from 1913 to
1919.
Dr. Cyrus Thompson, 1855-1930,
was with little doubt the most
popular and best liked member of
the State Medical Society during the
first half of the present century. He
graduated from Tulane Medical
School in 1878 but continued to be a
scholar throughout his life — a stu-dent
of literature, a student of
medicine, and a student of the
times in which he lived.
He began to practice medicine in
Onslow, his home county; but at the
end of five years he abandoned
medicine and taught school for two
years. Then he gave his time to
managing his farm. This was during
the great financial crisis, and, to
improve the condition of farmers,
Dr. Thompson became active in the
Farmers' Alliance. When the Alliance
affiliated with the new political
party, "The People's Party," he
was nominated for the office of
Secretary of State to which he was
elected in 1897 and served until
1901. Already from his home county
he had been state representative
and senator as well as county com-missioner
and superintendent of
health.
In 1904, Dr. Thompson took up
the practice of medicine in Jackson-ville.
He at once joined the State
Medical Society and in 1913 was
elected to the State Board of Health
of which he was a member for 18
years. In 1918, he was elected
President of the State Medical
Society.
Dr. Thompson was a many-sided
man; aside from the practice of
medicine, he was a successful
teacher, a successful farmer, a
successful politician, and always a
successful statesman. After his
return to medicine in 1904, he
followed this with equal success
during the remainder of his life. He
became the ablest debater of his
time and an orator of recognized
ability. "Certainly North Carolina
has not seen his like in this respect
since the days of Governor Zeb
Vance."*
Dr. James Lloyd Nicholson, the
son of a Methodist minister, was
*Dr. L. B. McBrayer, Transactions of
State Medical Society, 1931.
90